I don’t know, jayjay, lately Cosby does this great impression of an angry old coot who- oh.
You know, Obama has written a book about his policies and given a lot of speeches (and probably put out his share of position papers) over the last year or so. It’s not necessary to rely on associations like this to try to find out what he really thinks, and it’s this kind of tea leaf-reading that makes it so frustrating to follow politics.
i was just throwing that out there, I like Obama, but you’re right, it is much like reading tea leaves. I do have to admit though that it gives me pause that Obama places so much stock in Rev Wright (well, at least he did until the "God Damn America video aired, forcing Obama into ye olde political backpeddle) and his messages when Wright is clearly a grandstander and a race-baiter.
Obama put stock in Wright because he needed Trinity United. He may not have even been aware of it at the time, and I’m sure it did become a genuine friendship. Wright seems like a decent guy to me, even if I undertand why he freaks people out.
Obama no longer needs Trinity so the influence of Wright is infinitesimal, and now that Wright has gone out of his way to kick sand in the relationship, it may in fact be zero. Brow-furrowing about Wright is so much intellectual self-delusion.
The question is WHY did he need Trinity United? Was his Christianity simply a ploy for political gain?
By that logic, Obama should be spending his time yelling and screaming about the unfairness of whitey, rather than going into law school and making something of himself.
That doesn’t seem to fit the situation.
-Joe
According to one of the pundits, the way to network in the African-American community in Chicago is to join one of two churchs. Trinity was one of them.
:rolleyes:
He was working as a community organizer and the churches were an important part of the community. Without their support he couldn’t get anything done, as holmes describes. So he started going to Trinity and according to his own words - which I’m taking at face value because I don’t have any reason not to - he later had a genuine religious experience there.
Thank you.
Notice how he writes about the “black community” as if he’s not a part of it? As if he’s talking about “those people” instead of others within his own ethnic group? As if he’s talking about blacks as if they aren’t even in the audience? This is why I can’t behind the Cosby hallejuiah train. He’s a sad, bitter man.
Ironically, I was reading the full text of one of Wright’s infamous sermons and came across this:
When I read it, I immediately thought of Cosby and how similar the messages were.
He says his Christianity was influenced by his wife and the community work done by Trinity. He even says in his book that he benfited from Trinity because as a community organizer on the south side of Chicago, Trinity represents authenticity, resources, and political connections in the black community and beyond. Without an alliance to a strong church community you’re not going to get far in organizing the south side.
To your curiously insistent question, have no proof that Obama is not a Christian. I have only piles of insinuation. I can see that he behaves as a Christian. I’d like to see some proof that he’s not an honest Christian before I go asking oily questions about him designed to sow doubt. Even better, I’d like to see some proof that he has ever been a practicing Musilm past the age of reason.
For whatever it’s worth, if his Christianity is a matter of political expediency it might actually raise him in my estimation.
Isn’t that true of ALL politicians? I don’t give a shit if he used it for political gain. So what?
His kenyan roots, diverse racial heritage, name, childhood in Indonesia (how popular is Obama over there now?), his travels and his high grades in college are just frosting on the cake at this point.
After watching and reading and watching a lot of his interviews and debates, I noticed that when he deviates from canned answers , his answers are consistently good and reasonable. Add the eloquence and the charisma and I was convinced that, one way or another, the guy is a hell of a politician. Either the real thing or a mastermind, or both. I’m fine with all options.
I don’t lend any credence to the idea that it was for political expediency only, but the ‘so what’ is that Obama’s supposed to be the poster boy for doing what’s right, not what’s politically expedient. Most of his appeal is that he’s above that sort of pandering, so it’s not a surprise that detractors would try to cut his legs out from under him with it.
Well, it’;s not like there’s a non-pandering alternative.
I don’t think Obama’s faith is phony, but I wouldn’t care if it was. You gotta do what you gotta do.
Well, I think if he wanted to pander, he could have done it with the gas tax or paid ‘street money’ in Philadelphia, which may have cost him that state. I think there’s so much more examples of him not pandering, then they are opportunities to paint him as a panderer.
I really think that so many of us are used to dealing with liars, that when we see someone who isn’t lying to us; we have to try to find the angle and often create angles when the straight path is usually the correct one.
You know, reading this thread has re-energized me with regard to Obama. I’ve been on his side since about January, but I think my original enthusiasm has waned due to some of the bitterness that emerged in the primaries. This thread reminds me why I was excited about him to begin with. And it also reminds me that I really should pick up one of his books.
I’ve got friends on the other side of the aisle who keep insisting that they “just don’t trust him,” but none can really seem to articulate why. I think it’s because he’s not a typical politician. To me, it’s analagous to being afraid of buying a used car. Sometimes, you’d rather stick with your old, beaten up car because you’re already familiar with its quirks and you don’t want to have to learn the quirks of a different car.
Anyway, pardon the ramble. Go Obama!
I would encourage everyone who supports Obama to read his books, they really give you a window into what moves and shakes the man, and I can tell you this: It ain’t Rev. Wright.
It’s people. People are what move Obama to do what he does. Initially it was poor people on the streets of south Chicago, his compassion for helping everyone get a piece of the pie is very noble, and to top it off, he’s damn good at it !
As for Bill Cosby - he has not been the same since his son was murdered.
Bush was 55 years old when he was elected - hardly “elderly” by POTUS standards. He’s the same age as Bill Clinton and only a year older than Hilary.
Honestly, his background (law school -> community organizer -> elected office, with a conversion to Christianity tacked on) seems purely power-seeking. People have made comments to that effect about Bobby Jindal on this very forum, but Obama seems to get a pass.